Dry Dullness or Refreshing Adventures

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[Janet Easson Martin]

Feeling like dullness was setting in lately.  The gray October skies and continuing COVID suppression of regular freedoms sometimes seem to echo that dullness.  Asking God about an idea for weekly project a friend suggested.  Approached Him this morning in small faith as I decided to count this trial as a sure opportunity for Him to grow my faith, and to take joy in the coming peace and Christ-likeness it will produce.  Unfortunately, that is not always what I do in trials.  

So, as I was praying this morning, that project idea came again to me but, in a different method.  I read from a daily devotional a close friend gifted me, "Jesus Calling: Enjoying peace in His Presence" by Sarah Young.  Then, I read from 1 Kings 7.  Because it was very encouraging to me; and because I feel many of us were strongly diverted through teachings and counsel in GCx Churches from following very personal "fresh trails" I would like to share some of it below.


"As you become increasingly aware of My Presence; you will find it easier to discern the way you should go  This is one of the practical benefits of living close to Me.  Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead or worrying about what you should do if... or when... you can concentrate on staying in communication with Me.  When you actually arrive at a choice-point, I will show you which direction to go.

Many people are so preoccupied with future plans and decisions that they fail to see choices they need to make today.  Without any conscious awareness, they make their habitual responses.  People who live this way find a dullness creeping into their lives.  They sleepwalk through their days, following well-worn paths of routine.

I, the Creator of the universe, am the most creative Being imaginable.  I will not leave you circling in deeply rutted paths.  Instead, I will lead you along fresh trails of adventure, revealing to you things you did not know.  Stay in communication with Me.  Follow My guiding Presence."  

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. --Psalm 32:8

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. --Genesis 1:1

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones;
you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

— Sarah Young, “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence”


I sure felt many times like their was a habitual GCx response to many things with no conscious awareness.  I felt dullness creep in and stay in my life for quite awhile there.  I honestly did not look forward to the future I saw painted there for me.  Many of us were sleepwalking through our routine without being made aware there was so much more for us in God's creative plans.  I would guess many are still in this mindless pattern there, but long to break it.

Fast forward, present day.  Freedom to follow what God shows me personally in my present drought.  My first clue was from 1 Kings 7, verses 13-14.  King Solomon sent for and brought Huram to craft part of The Temple.  "Huram was highly skilled and experienced" in a certain type of work.  He did the work the King assigned him.   What I felt God said to me personally in this passage was: "What are you skilled and experienced at?  You can teach that to others. I want to give you an adventure."  

There are so many different ways to pass on the skills God has to put to work in us that our years of experience would well benefit those who want to learn.  And for those of us who are oldies but goodies this is especially true.  I'd like to pass on mine before arthritis sets in.  But, even with aging disabilities we can train and explain.  

So, I am set to pursue my new adventure and continue asking God for clues, guidance, wisdom and creativity.  I pray you feel the same renewed sense of purpose as you seek Him to water any dry dullness in your life.




  

[Janet Easson Martin]

In light of the wrong focus of seeking the approval of men by GCx leaders, modeling and imposing it on their people; Pharisaism deceptively became the primary goal of it’s culture, to the extent that it often nearly extinguished the original flame of faith received in Christ.  It seems getting out of this pattern of performing for others by leaving the GCx culture of the erroneously trained leadership is usually the best hope of regaining one’s faith.  Moving away from this concentration on idolatry to the unconditional love of the Savior actually fans the flames of faith.  The following is an entry from “Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young that explains this as if Jesus himself were talking to you:


“I am pleased with you, my child.  Allow yourself to become fully aware of My pleasure shining upon you.  You don’t have to perform well in order to receive My Love.  In fact, a performance focus will pull you away from Me, toward some sort of Pharisaism.  This can be a subtle form of idolatry:  worshipping your good works.  It can also be a source of deep discouragement when your works don’t measure up to your expectations.

Shift your focus from your performance to My radiant Presence.  The light of My Love shines on you continually, regardless of your feelings or behavior.  Your responsibility is to be receptive to this unconditional Love.  Thankfulness and trust are your primary receptors.  Thank Me for everything; trust me at all times.  These simple disciplines will keep you open to My loving Presence.”



I pray that as this holiday season approaches you will rest from a performance focus, and abide instead in His performance to realize you are deeply loved, totally accepted, completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God.  Focus on what Jesus did permanently and eternally for you.

[PietWowo]

Though I agree with the message, the author does not understand what the Pharisees were all about. Paul after doing three missionary journeys declared himself to be a Pharisee of Pharisees. (Acts 23:6). There were really seven types of Pharisees. Quite a few webpages talk about that. You might Google it. The bad corrupt folks were the Sadducees. They were part of having about 800 Pharisees crucified...

[Janet Easson Martin]

According to the Scriptures:


And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. “I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14


And

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But, when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-6

[Del]

Hmmm. So, was Paul a pharisee or not? And if he was, was he bad?

[PietWowo]

Hmmm. So, was Paul a pharisee or not? And if he was, was he bad?

It depends. It's almost like asking if an "Evangelical" is bad. The teaching of the Pharisees was much more in agreement with the teaching of Jesus, especially when compared to the teaching of the Sadducees. Remember Jesus told the Hebrews to listen and obey the Pharisees, but not do as they live. The Sadducees were the ones, who had a corrupt scheme going with the Romans. They were also more stationed in Jerusalem, particularly in the more well to do west part of Jerusalem. They had a lot of vacation homes in Jericho. Some of this is good background in understanding the parable of the good Samaritan.

Paul was a Pharisee and he declared himself as a Pharisee after his missionary journeys. Read Acts 23:6. However as Janet pointed out, Jesus had some of the strongest judgement against the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were a group of people, who generally had the entire Torah (meaning Instruction, or the five Books of Moses, sometimes called "the Pentateuch") memorized. They were a very devoted group of people to God. They were a very highly respected group of religious people among the Israelite community. They wanted to be obedient to everything that God said. They would be the ones, who would teach that Deut. 6:4-7, to love the Lord your God with everything was the greatest Commandment and the second was to love your neighbour as yourself. (Lev. 19:18). Another group of people would teach that keeping the Sabbath was the second greatest Commandment.

The Pharisees were out of the Synagogues, more in the Galilean area of Israel. That's where Jesus did 70% of His ministry. 11 of His disciples were from there, only Judas Iscariot was from Judah. After the Maccabean war about 165 BC, they had a split with the zealots. Both of them believed the same, but the zealots would be willing to kill with violence, whereas the Pharisees were more peaceful loving...

Eventually after the destruction of the Temple of Herod, the Pharisees turned into the Rabbis. Now, remember Jesus was called a Rabbi.

So, the Pharisees would criticize themselves mercilessly in the Talmud, just like Evangelicals will criticize each other. This forum in a sense being an example. All the criticisms that Jesus gave were also written about themselves in the Talmud. The secret to understanding the Pharisees is to realize that there were seven types of Pharisees. I wouldn't be surprised if you find the same seven types of folks in Evangelical churches these days.

I'm not sure if we can post links here, but I got this from Christianity Today. (19 Jan, 2016 an article by Mark Woods). You can google it and see it there. I copied and pasted the first 6 types from there.

1. The "shoulder" Pharisees, who wear their good actions on their shoulders for everyone to see.
2. The "wait-a-little" Pharisees who always find excuses for putting off a good deed.
3. The "bruised" Pharisees, who run into walls because they are so busy avoiding looking at women.
4. The "pestle" or hunched-over Pharisees, who walk bent over in pretended humility (think Dickens' Uriah Heep).
5. The "ever-reckoning" Pharisees, always weighing their good deeds against the bad.
6. The "fearful" Pharisees, who are are frightened of doing the wrong thing.

There are more articles about this on the internet. So, this list is getting better as you go down the list. (Number 3 is actually quite funny to me).

The number 7 ones are very humble Pharisees, who loved the Lord their God with all and wanted to be men of God's heart. I believe Paul was like that. That's why he could continue to be a Pharisee after becoming a believer. I want to be like that.

But again it should be emphasized that the Pharisees were generally very highly regarded religious people. That's why the story that Janet cites is probably one of my favourite parables. Here is a Pharisee. No one would have ever thought that he had such prideful thinking in himself. Then a tax collector. He was considered the lowest of the scumbacks. Maybe how we would consider a pimp... Just a horrible person. (He handled money for the Romans with Tiberius being declared as deity.... filthy lucre.... and then kept a lot more for himself)  And during the daily sacrifice, the pimp gets mercy... (That's when one would go to the temple to pray or worship, because of the daily sacrifices at 9 AM and 3 PM) (BTW, these were the times when Jesus Christ was crucified and when He died) right during the daily sacrifices.

So, to answer your question. Yes, Paul was a Pharisee throughout his life. No, he was not bad throughout his whole life. He started many Churches and was an example for all of us to follow. When he got converted on the road to Damascus, he started following a different "yoke" that of Christ. Also, before his conversion, he was a disciple of Gamaliel, the grandson of the Rabbi Hillel. When you see Jewish student centers named the Hillel Student center, just realize that was the grandfather, of the Rabbi, who discipled Paul. Gamaliel also defended the believers in Acts. One of my questions when I get to heaven is to find out why Paul didn't follow his Rabbi Gamaliel. Paul persecuted the Christians very strongly, before his conversion on the road to Damascus. But then he refocused that same energy into starting many churches and reaching many with the Gospel. But the whole time he was a Pharisee... very zealous. Kind of Elijah.

I hope that helps....

[Janet Easson Martin]

Resurrection life as our present experience

...In the next section of the passage, Paul explains what it means to walk in Jesus, "the light of life." The New Testament teaches that if we experience salvation from our sins through Jesus Christ then we have been given a new birth and a supernatural power to live. Paul explains that the very resurrection life of Christ is expressed through us as Christians. The amazing creativity and vitality of resurrection life can be our present, personal experience of God's power and glory. Paul describes it as a treasure inside of us (2 Corinthians 4:7-11):

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Paul understands that the real treasure is the resurrection life of Jesus Christ within him. He is merely a vessel that carries it. Is there a more beautiful description of the Christian life than "we have this treasure in earthen vessels"?
Paul's life was lived under tremendous pressure. His clay pot was subjected to the strain of affliction, perplexing confusion, persecution, catastrophe, and constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake. Paul understood that what filled him up and resisted the external pressures of life was the surpassing greatness of the power of God inside of him. The power that spoke the world into being is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and spiritually transformed Paul's life when he met Jesus on the Damascus road.

The following excerpts are a wonderful description of resurrection power, both as it was displayed on Easter morning and as it can be displayed in the lives of people who respond to Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ray Stedman writes in Body Life:

“We must understand that resurrection power is like no other power on earth. It is unique, and has no possible rival. For one thing, it is the kind of power that operates in the midst of death. It works when everything around it is dull, dead and barren. It works best in the midst of a cemetery, for that is where it was first demonstrated. When Jesus Christ was resurrected he came out from among the dead. Therefore, if you learn to live by resurrection power you can be alive and vital when everything and everyone around you is dead and lifeless.

Resurrection power is also irresistible. It cannot be thwarted or turned aside. It takes absolutely no account of any obstacles thrown in its path, except to use them for further opportunities to advance its cause. When Jesus came bursting from the grave, he paid not the slightest attention to the obstacles man had placed in his way. There was a large stone in front of his tomb; he passed through it. He himself was wrapped in yard after yard of linen cloth; he left the graveclothes undisturbed behind him. There were Roman guards in front of his tomb; he ignored them. He took not the slightest notice of the decrees of Caesar, or the orders of Pilate or the fulminations of the Jewish priests.

Furthermore, resurrection power makes no noise. Other kinds of power that we know usually make some kind of sound: they pound, pulsate, throb, hum, buzz, explode, or roar. But resurrection power is quite silent. Without any display or ostentation it quietly accomplishes its purpose though there is nothing audible or visible to mark it. When a Christian is living by resurrection power he does not advertise it or seek to dazzle others by its display. His effect upon others is quiet and unobserved at first, but soon there are evident changes that mark the inevitable effect of resurrection power at work: the return of life, vitality, excitement and joy to an individual or situation.”



The above invigorating excerpt is from Peninsula Bible Church in Silicon Valley.  The bold emphasis is mine.  This is a church my husband and I visited when living in the area back in 90’s.  Ray Stedman is someone whose teaching my husband respects though Stedman himself has gone to be with the Lord.


Link to full post
https://cdn.pbc.org/Main_Service/2000/04/23/4638.html

[Janet Easson Martin]

This song may sweep you AWAY to heavenly places…



Song of Moses - (Official Lyric Video) - Isaac Tarter

https://youtu.be/d3CiPBVXJx4?si=oCb8NjznsRTx67MQ


This is a very adventurous story from Isaac’s church’s website. Brought chills:

“ Isaac and his wife Katrina have been in ministry together for over 15 years. Earning his Bachelor degree in Theology from Portland Bible College, Isaac was then hired full time on staff under Pastor Frank Damazio at City Bible Church (now Mannahouse Church) in Portland, OR where he served in the worship department as a worship pastor and worship leader. His 15 years of being on staff included ministry to thousands of youth at the Generation Unleashed conferences, pastors and leaders in attendance of the Ministers Fellowship International conferences, and to students at Portland Bible College.

In 2022, Isaac and his wife Katrina sensed the Lord calling them to leave Portland. One night while praying it became clear that Nashville, TN was where the Lord was leading them. The word the Lord gave them was that there was to be a new sound from God's Spirit that was to be released and that Nashville was not to be known as a music capital but a worship capital. On a map, with all the highways and interstates, Nashville looked like a heart with like arteries flowing out from its center. This image began to take on signifance representing that this "new sound" was to flow from Nashville and reach the corners of the nation. It was with that vision that the Tarter family left the northwest to start a music studio where Isaac would begin fulltime work writing and producing music, specifically worship songs with the purpose of connecting people to God's presence and teaching them to be true worshipers.

In the spring of 2023 God began to impress upon Isaac and Katrina that part of the reason they were in Tennesse was to plant a church. This idea began to encompass the purpose and vision they already had with worship and the recording studio and in June of 2023 Soundophany church was officially launched.

In addition to leading the church, Isaac continues to write and produce music with the desire of seeing people become true worshipers and encounter the life changing Presence of God. …”

[Janet Easson Martin]

Interesting discussion of the story behind the very inspiring movie, UNSUNG HERO. Hellen Smallbone, Rebecca St. James, and Moriah Peters (wife of Joel Smallbone) sit down with the host and have a lively and insightful conversation.

UNSUNG HERO - The Heart of the Story
with Annie F. Downs

https://youtu.be/pCqLOUVyFOA?si=WxB6j5MOYj0Yc4tR